Packaging arrangement



p 1953 c. CUNNINGHAM ET AL 2.653,709

ATTORNE Patented Sept. 29 1953 PACKAGING ARRANGEMENT Gale C. Cunningham, Inglewood, and Harold A. I Kilmer, Manhattan Beach, Calif., assignors to North American Aviation, Inc.

Application December 11, 1950, Serial No. 200,294

This invention pertains to a packaging arrangement.

The invention is particularly concerned with the packaging of relatively bulky parts, and particularly parts that are difilcult to protect in shipment.

In the past, airframe parts with which the present invention is particularly usable, were packaged by mounting them on cradles contoured to correspond with the surface of the parts. The cradles were fastened to a container and cushioning material was suitably placed to minimize shock and vibration. This method has proven to be expensive and time-consuming. Further, it is somewhat cumbersome and undesirably heavy.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a packaging arrangement in which the part is suspended in the container.

It is another object of this invention to provide an arrangement for quickly and easily packaging parts which are susceptible to damage in shipment.

It is still another object of this invention to provide packaging means for suspending a part in a container in such a manner that it is supported in all positions of the container.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an arrangement whereby shocks received by the container will not damage parts carried thereby.

It is yet another object of this invention to so support an item in a container that it has no point of contact with the container.

Further objects of invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an exploded isometric view of an embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a cross section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a container I made up in any suitable manner to correspond generally to the part carried thereby. This part, in the preferred embodiment of the invention is an airplane elevator or assembly 2.

In carrying out the invention, the ends of the elevator assembly are encompassed by a pair oi hood or bag-like members 3 and 4. These are preferably contoured to the shape of the elevator or member so as to closely encompass the same. The bag-like members are made of any desired material such as canvas or the like. Obviously,

1 Claim. (Cl. 206-46) material of suitable characteristics may be selected for particular items to be packaged.

Suitably attached to each of the bag-like members are a plurality of straps for supporting the part in the container. Straps 5 and 6 are attached to the upper portion of bag 3, and straps 1 and 8 are attached to the lower part thereof. Straps 9 and I 0 are attached to straps 5 and 6, as well as to the bag. A pair of straps similar .to 9 and It] (not shown) are attached to lower straps l and 8. Similarly, bag 4 is provided with a pair of upper straps II and I2, lower straps l3 and I4, transversely extending upper straps l6 and I1, and lower straps I8 and I9.

These straps are made of any suitable material, but preferably are made of heavy canvas in which the longitudinal edges of the straps are cut on a bias with respect to the warp and woof of the threads of the cloth. This arrangement provides additional resilience in protecting the packaged item against damage.

Upper straps l l and [2 are suitably attached to the lower part of the container at points 20 and 2| as shown in Fig. 2, whereas lower straps l3 and M are attached to the upper part of the container at 22 and 23. Transversely extending straps 9 and ll! of bag 3, their corresponding lower straps (not shown), and straps l6, I1, I55, and I9, of bag 4, are attached centrally intermediate the ends of the container and prevent part 2 from moving longitudinally of the container. The remaining straps support part 2 and while permitting some slight movement of the part with respect to the container to absorb shocks in the event the container is dropped, nevertheless, effectively prevent the part from contacting the container.

This arrangement saves much time, labor and materials as compared with any other packaging arrangement presently used 01' known to applicant, efiectively prevents damage of the parts when roughly handled, and enables the bags and container, if so desired, to be re-used.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that the supporting bags may take many forms, and. the straps may be applied thereto at desired angles to support the weight of the parts carried thereby and to avoid shocks from being transmitted from the container to the part.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of this invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claim.

We claim:

A packaging arrangement comprising a supporting casing and at least two hood members, said hood members encompassing opposite ends of a part to be supported in said casing, each hood member being provided with :atrap means for attachmentto said casing, saids'trapzmeans including straps integral with and extending laterally across the upper portion of said hand member and attached to the lower poritinn .0! said casing, and straps integral with and extending laterally across the lower mi :fiaid hood member and attached tome-manor of said casing thereby providing vertical and lateral support for said part for all positionstof said casing, and including'longitudina'l straps in tegral with the upper portion and longitudinal straps integral with the bottom portion of said :hood member, lsaid longitudinal -.straps being hisposed at substantially right angles to :said .iat-

4 erally extending straps, extending inwardly from said hood member and attached to said casing at the central portion thereof thereby providing longitudinal support for said part for all positions of said casing.

GALE C. CUNNINGHAM. HAROLD A KILMER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 597,391 vCarpenter Jan. 18, 1898 Ilopeman Nov. 1, 1938 ;2,49!;,1IZO Goldfield et a] June 8, 1946 TFDREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 492,508 Great Britain Sept. 21, 1938 $10,562 Great Britain A Feb. 13, 1939 567,323 Great Britain .Feb. 8, 1945 

